The present invention relates generally to the field of indoor grills, and more specifically to improvements in indoor grill design which allow flavoring agents to be introduced to food during grilling and which divert drippings away from the heating element during grill use.
Grills for indoor use are well known and commercially available. A major disadvantage of many indoor grills is that grease and other drippings extracted from food during the grilling process drip into the indoor grill and collect near the heating element. The heat from the heating element causes the drippings to evaporate, resulting in excessive smoke and unpleasant odors, which are undesirable in an indoor environment.
Devices that attempt to solve this problem have been disclosed in various patents. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,909,137 to Brugnoli discloses a grease pan having a sloped bottom surface for diverting grease to an outlet. A grease reservoir is connected to the outlet for containing the grease. U.S. Pat. No. 1,642,071 to Hosking discloses a conically-shaped reflector plate which diverts juice drippings via an outlet at the bottom of the reflector plate to a substantially enclosed receptacle. U.S. Pat. No. 3,745,912 to Field describes a collection means having a sloped bottom for diverting grease drippings. The grease drippings are drained from the collection means and collected in a jar via an opening in the bottom of the collection means.
Indoor grills typically are designed with electric or gas heating elements. Charcoal briquets, wood chips and other heating materials which provide flavoring agents when burned or heated are generally not utilized in indoor grills due to the retention of smoke in the indoor environment. Thus, foods cooked on indoor grills generally do not exhibit the "smoked" or "charcoaled" flavors which people enjoy and are produced by many outdoor grills.